Interview with Simone Canclini

Simone Canclini
CEO
Canclini 1925

Deeply involved in circular economy processes

Founded in 1925 as a silk factory in Italy's Como region, Canclini shifted to the cotton sector in the 1960s with the aim to serve a wider base of customers. Simone Canclini, chief executive officer (CEO) of Canclini 1925, talks to Paulami Chatterjee about how his shirting fabric company is looking for materials to create new proposals and differentiate its offer from the past, while keeping its trademarks like style, service, quality and good taste.

How different are shirting fabrics today as compared to those manufactured 10 years ago? How many fabric varieties you have till date?

Shirting fabrics have evolved in the last 10 years; yarns titrations are increasinglybecoming thinner, and the prices are still accessible for the market. Ironically, in the last few seasons, the world of formal fabrics has seen a decrease in demand, with everybody searching for more casual and comfortable clothes and looking for light yet 'raw' fabrics.

Tell us about the Como region as a textile hub known for handcrafted stuff.

Canclini works with cotton, but its journey started with silk. This expertise and knowledge are part of our DNA and has stayed with us, especially when it comes to the product part and this is reflected in the whole continuous production cycle. As normally happens in Como, we rely on trusted partners for some manufacturing aspects. This gives us the possibility to access the best skills for every phase of the production process.

What is the demand for shirting fabrics worldwide? How much does Italy contribute to that?

We must say that today Italy plays an important role in terms of varieties. The aim is to create small productions with a wide variety of proposals to allow customers to better differentiate themselves from the rest.

Which are your most influential shirt markets worldwide?

Our reference market is the world, and I don't think the answer could be any different, considering the current globalised economy. That is why we have a product offer that covers every need in the market. As our pay-off points out, we are totally available to customise proposals on specific brand needs and demands.

Which weaves and finishes are evergreen? What new weaves and finishes are you working on?

Poplin and non-solid colours are essential for the world of shirting, as well as light and soft flannels for the winter season, or linens for the summer season.

Where do you source raw materials from and where are the products manufactured?

We are constantly looking for materials that allow us to create new proposals, and differentiate our offer from the past, while keeping Canclini's trademarks such as style, service, quality and good taste.

What is your annual production capacity?

It is millions of metres.

Which are your best-selling products?

We have several best-sellers. For the formal world, we have Skin, intended to be 'like a second skin', featuring super thin yarn of 80/1Compact in warp, and 140/1 for weft. For the sport world, we have our flannels Melton and Mc Kenzie for wintertime, while Linus is a refined linen fabric perfect for summertime. We are also very happy with the market reaction to our Techno Shirt fabrics, like Performante and Biker, which are realised in a nylon bi-stretch composition.

How can we make sustainability in fashion more accessible? What are you doing to help facilitate that?

We are quite aware of this issue, having been amongst the first ones to offer GOTS-certified fabrics many years ago. Today, we also provide Global Recycled Standard (GRS) articles featuring recycled yarns from pre- and post-consumer.

What new research is going on to bring around more sustainable shirting fabrics?

We are constantly searching for new yarns and researching production innovations that can allow us to reach a lower environmental impact compared to the traditional modus operandi.

Are you involved in any futuristic projects or tie-ups at present?

We are deeply involved in circular economy processes, having joined the 'Circular Fashion' platform. We are offering our customers sustainable products to help create a new culture, while boosting a new way of entrepreneurship. We think this represents the only way to achieve a significant and positive change for our whole society.

What kind of investments are you planning in your company? Will you be adding more manufacturing facilities?

In our current and future investments, we are always looking for new solutions in terms of productions that will be able to implement systems and machineries to achieve a new way to work and produce in a more and more sustainable manner. We are truly aware of the importance of realising a constant update of our plants.

What upgradations in machinery has your manufacturing unit been witness to? Kindly share at length.

Every season we invest, research and implement both raw materials research and consequent manufacturing activities to offer a quality product that is characterised by a great amount of creativity and yet able to be truly sustainable. This approach has allowed us to obtain significant achievements, especially on certifications such as GOTS, GRS and BCI.

What was the turnover in the last fiscal and what more can we expect from you in the next few years?

The turnover in the last fiscal was €43 million. I think you can definitely expect a constant growth, both in Italy and abroad, linked to a more detailed and mixed product offer, along with an implemented service closer than ever to customers. Impeccable quality will continue to be our trademark, and we also foresee an even greater step into the world of sustainability as a leader of this important change.

Published on: 02/01/2020

DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.